Crash! Hit Reboot!
by birthofthecool
Summary: Cable is dead, sacrificing his life for the X-Men, like many times before.  So how can Domino hear him call her through their long disconnected psi-link?   Ever asked yourself, why Cable seems like a total different character, each time he returns?


_**Author's rantings:**_

_**Hello to the one or two readers who'll probably read this classic X-Force story,**_

_**This time I'm really going to rant, so skip over it, if you are not interested.**_

_**I'll probably be writing loads of X-Universe stories, to vent my frustration. **__**I can't even read the X-Men books of the present, without feeling the need to vomit.**_

_**Too much brutality, heroes with questionable ethical decisions, Half the characters are totally OOC and continuity isn't worth a shit. Especially the characters of one of the books I loved most as a teen, when I started to read the original US edition, X-Force, are treated horrible.**_

_**So if you are a fan of the X-Books, of the let's say pre -Quesada-era, maybe you'll enjoy my stories.**_

_**Oh, right! I should probably mention that this story was partly inspired by the (sadly very short) story "Reunion" by Mary Dee.**_

_**X**_

_**"" is for dialogue**_

_**"" and cursive indicate direct thoughts**_

_**bold is for accentuation or for original dialogue or flashbacks, you'll get what it is, trust me.**_

**Disclaimer: Roses are red, Violets are blue, Quesada's a moron, and so are you. And I don't own any X-Force or related characters, not Cable not Domino.**

**But I swear, if I did, I'd definitely do something better with them than Marvel does at the moment. **

**X**

****_!Updated! Added a few more sentences to some parts and improved (hopefully) the editing!_****

* * *

><p><strong>X<strong>

**Crash, hit Reboot!**

**X**

**X**

The full moon shone on a small clearing in a not significantly bigger patch of trees near Salem, Westchester.

Out of nowhere something, very much looking like a tear in reality, ripped open in the center of said clearing.

X

The next moment, accompanied by a blinding flash of light a man appears out of the blindingly bright hole.

X

He is tall and very strong built, by the light of the moon his short hair appears to be white.

His distinctive features may not be what you'd normally call good-looking, but they show a man with a lot of willpower and determination.

His age can not be determined so easy, he could be anywhere between an extremely fit sixty year old and a prematurely greyed forty year old.

X

The man is dressed in a tight, dark blue, almost black bodysuit, completed with gloves of the same colour and bright yellow boots.

Over the one-piece is a set of yellow Weapon belts, with lots of pockets, on the belt and on each shoulder-strap are big red circles, divided by a black x.

In his left hand is a big quite futuristic looking weapon and on his back he carries an even bigger one. Grenades, knifes and more are placed all over the belts.

If one would examine the man closer, he could notice that his left arm seems bulkier than his right and the whole left side of his body seems to be a little bit more heavyset than the rest.

X

The one most extinguishing feature are his eyes. The left is surrounded by scars, shaped almost like a star or like rays, with his eye being the sun in the center.

The funny thing is that it's his right eye, not the scarred one that seems to constantly emit a yellow energy around it.

X

For anybody associated with the X-men, the identity of the man would be quite clear the moment they see these eyes.

It is the time travelling son of Scott Summers and Madeline Pryor (or as he would prefer it the foster son of Jean Grey:

The mutant soldier known as Cable.

X

X

The night is very quiet and the landscape seems serene under the beautifying light of the full moon.

This observation is not something that people would normally expect from Nathan Summers (or Nathan "Dayspring" Askani-son Summers as would probably be his full name), but he thinks it nevertheless.

"I've been gone so long; I just hope the kids are still in the mansion.

Damn, I hope they don't hate me for deserting them so long."

He muses aloud, with no one to hear it but him.

Before his inner eye the faces of his former pupils, now his comrades, appear before his eyes.

Daní, Rictor, 'Star, James and Theresa, Bobby and of course Tabitha and Sam.

A smile forms on his lips, something you wouldn't automatically associate with his rather grim face, as well.

Sam! The young man fills a place in his heart, a place that had been an empty hole ever since Tyler had deserted him, since his son had been corrupted by his clone Stryfe and finally killed by the mutant Berserker Wolverine.

Not that he could really blame Logan for this. Not for this.

But if he's honest to himself, there is someone he has missed even more than Sam.

Cable shakes his head, to clear his thoughts.

"Enough of that! I'll soon know where we stand."

He laughs to himself; one must have been lonely for a long time, if he picks up the habit of talking to himself aloud.

X

After one last glance at his surroundings, to check that really nobody has seen his arrival, he sets of in a fast, energy-conserving trot.

It's not far to the mansion, probably less than ten minutes, but you never should use up more of your energy than absolutely necessary, a lesson that Cable had to learn in most painful ways.

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

"It's gone. Gone!"

He feels a sting of sadness as he looks at the totally demolished mansion. He didn't really expect to feel this way.

But this house had been home to him for some time and his parents both spend the biggest part of their lives here.

"Or rather, they spent the biggest part of their lives until now here."

X

After a thorough search through what is left of the mansion and the surrounding estate, he still has no clue where the X-Men could be, but he has a pretty good idea of what had caused the damage.

It definitely had been Sentinel related weaponry, perhaps even Nimrod tech.

Crouching on the ground behind the ruins, he goes through a handful of burned photographs, he found while sifting through the wreckage.

A few pictures of the pupils show an amazing number of mutant children and adolescents. The dates on the frames, as far as he can make them out, indicate that he's been gone for a long time. Much longer than he'd initially thought.

X

"_It must have been years. I know none of these kids and some look so different. Hank is… he looks almost like a real animal now. _

_Daní look's so much more mature, I think there's a kind of sadness, perhaps even bitterness in her eyes. _

_And James is wearing his old costume again… I thought he'd left that part of his life behind. And no Terry around? They've been inseparable for so long…_

_There's no picture of Jean. Dad is on a few, but I don't see her anywhere."_

X

Fear fills him for a moment, before he get's it under control again.

In every way that counts, Jean is his mother, most of the time he is closer to her than to Scott, if anything has happened to her…

He forces the thought out of his mind. It makes no sense to worry, before he knows anything substantial.

X

_"Only two pics left. This one seems to be a staff photo._

_There are quite a few I don't know… Is this Tessa? In an X-Men Uniform? I wonder what that is about…"_

He drops the picture on the small pile lying before him.

Then his gaze wanders to the last picture, some sort of banquet or party. They seem to have fun and there's Scott…

X

For a few seconds he just stares at the picture, his mind unable to grasp what he's seeing.

Then his hand closes to a fist around the photography, pressing it into a tight small ball of paper.

Anger races through him, his eyes contort to small, angry slits and the energy in his left eye flares up like a torch, until it lights up his surroundings.

No sign of Jean and his father is kissing the White queen of the hellfire club?

And no one in this picture seems to be concerned about it; only in Kitty Pride's face he can see any mistrust or antipathy against Frost.

He can't get his head around it.

"_Even if something happened to Jean, Scott wouldn't… just look for the next woman and certainly not the self-centred, cold, manipulative and power hungry Emma Frost._

_It can't be… "_

Just what has happened during the time he was gone?

X

He drops the crumbled picture to the ground and, in a childish burst of anger uses his TK to rip all pictures into microscopic pieces.

X

The next target will be Salem's town center. A copy of today's newspaper, a quick breakfast and then to fill the gaps, a trip to the local library.

"But first I need a trench coat or something, people might wonder a little bit, if they see me wandering around like this."

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

"_Jean's dead? Only about 200 mutants left? And before that there were tens, hundreds of thousand? The X-Men in San Francisco? And then this strange energy dome…"_

It certainly doesn't make much sense.

_"Then again, that's something I'm used to."_

Cable left the computer he'd used to get a quick summary of the timeline of the last few years.

Nodding to the librarian on the checkout desk, he walks to the exit.

X

"_Jean… will she return once more, I wonder?"_

While quite a few X-Men had returned from the dead in the last few years, like Colossus or Psylocke for example., so far there was no hint of a possible return.

Still, the web might not be the place to find all relevant news.

"I wish I could've talked to her in person first." he sighed.

X

Cable spent the next few minutes to reach a small park and settle on the bench, that was the least visible to passers-by.

Then the grey-haired warrior concentrated on something that had lain dormant for a few years here in the present and probably even longer in his future.

At first he couldn't sense anything, it seemed there was nothing left…

Then.

A whisper, a tiny, tiny thread, not even the ghost of the earlier connection, rather the **remains** of the ghost of what had been there years ago.

Using as much of his telepathic powers as his T-O virus allowed he called out with his thoughts.

X

"Dom!"

X

His mind followed the remains of their psi-link to wherever the woman he loved with all his heart was at the moment.

X

"Dom?"

X

He could feel her presence in his thoughts, but there seemed to be a barrier of some kind. He couldn't detect wether it was put there subconsciously or with intent, but at least it wasn't so strong that he couldn't breach it.

X

"DOM?"

X

His thoughts were filled with the emotions he had for his raven-haired lover and - no use to lie to himself- with the longing he had felt the last few years, they had been separated.

X

"DOM!"

X

Finally he felt a weak connection….

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

Domino jerked up from the bed she shared with her current lover, Wolverine, leader of X-Force.

Had someone just called her? She grabbed the hidden gun from beneath her pillow, while her eyes searched the room.

No one here. No sound from outside the room.

X

"Dom."

X

It was faint and she almost missed it, but someone had called her name.

Unconsciously her hands pulled the sheets up to cover her nude form.

Her eyes wandered to Logan's face, he was still sleeping; besides he usually called her Neena in the bedroom.

But why wasn't he awake? His senses were far superior to hers, if she could hear it, he should've as well.

X

"DOM!"

X

This time the call was… not louder, but more distinctive and she realized that nobody actually spoke to her, it was a telepathic call.

"Doesn't sound like Frost or the Cuckoos though."

X

"DOM!"

X

She recognized the presence trying to contact her; now and for a moment she shuddered while goosebumps formed on her body.

"But he's dead. Is it possible that he calls from… no that's ridiculous!"

Besides Cable hadn't used their former psi-link in years, not even when they shortly had rekindled their old relationship, while she was working with him on Providence.

X

"Dom, please talk to me. I'm sorry, but talk to me."

X

Sorry? For what was he feeling sorry? For dying?

No use.

X

"Cable? Is this really you? What do you want?"

X

A recognizable pause till he answered and did he "sound" hurt?

X

"I just want to talk. There are things, events I need to know about and I don't know how to reach Sam or one of the others.

Hell, I don't even have an idea where they are right now."

X

"Wait one moment, I'm not alone, I…

I just need to go to the bathroom or something."

X

Finally Logan woke up, startled he looked at her.

"What's wrong? You okay?"

No use to bother him now, she could tell him later, when she knew what was going on.

"It's nothing. I just had a nightmare and now have to use the bathroom."

Wolverine shrugged, lay down again and turned his back to her.

_"She probably dreamt, I'd really force her to give the rest of the money back."_

He chuckled to himself, before he quickly dozed of again.

X

Domino left the bed and searched on the floor for her panties.

It might be ridiculous, but she didn't want to "talk" with Cable in the nude.

Having found the little black, lacy nothing, she put it on and hastily made for the bathroom.

X

Luckily she didn't have to talk out loud, because Logan would surely wake up and be able to hear every word.

_"So what? It's not like there's anything to hide?_

_It's not like I'm going to make up behind his back and he doesn't own me. So?… Besides, its just sex."_

But there was no need to stir up unnecessary ruckus.

She closed the door behind her and stood in the middle of the small room, arms crossed below her breasts.

X

"So! What do you want?"

X

She couldn't see it, but somehow she got the feeling he was squirming because of her rather unfriendly remark.

X

"Look Dom, I'm sorry, I really am, but I had no choice.

I understand if you're angry, but perhaps we can talk about it?"

X

"I have absolutely no idea **what** you're talking about; the only thing that pisses me off is the fact that you re-established our psi-link for absolutely no reason."

X

Her "voice" got a little softer as she continued.

X

"And there's no reason to be sorry. I mean you sacrificed yourself to save us all."

X

Silence. And when he finally answered he sounded totally confused.

X

"Dom, I'm sorry, but there are obviously things I need to know, because I've absolutely no idea what you are talking about."

X

He continued hastily, before she could answer.

X

"Couldn't you meet me? In San Fran? I don't want to visit your little mutant paradise…

I don't want Scott or Frost to know I've come back, at the moment.

I'd probably blast him and his sow through the next wall, if I had to meet him right now."

X

Cable certainly was angry with his father; she could feel a suppressed rage behind his thoughts. But why would he be that angry, did he feel Cyclops was responsible for his death?

Besides, he was already back again, so no harm done, right?

Then she remembered how he died, perhaps he had reasons to be angry after all.

X

"Dom? You still listening?"

X

"Yeah, yeah. Okay, let's meet in our old watering hole at the harbour. You remember?

We used to celebrate there, when we had finished work and were in the vicinity."

X

This time his thoughts felt warmer and sprinkled with a feeling of joy.

X

"Yeah. Yes, I do. Dutchman's Gallows. I can probably make it there at around 8 pm. Is that okay?"

X

"I'll be there, what about Hope?"

X

Again he "sounded" puzzled.

X

"I guess, there's always hope?"

X

Domino felt the link subside again as she turned around to leave the bath, her reflection in the mirror didn't look any wiser than she did. Just what was going on?

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

Domino checked her watch again.

It was nearing 10 pm and Cable still hadn't shown up.

She was getting really pissed by now.

Besides the "Dutchman's Gallows" wasn't nearly as much fun as she remembered.

Of course, she had been accompanied by the rest of the "Six Pack" back then.

Now she was staring alone into her beer pitcher and fending of another drunken admirer after the other.

"For this, I'll give him a good kicking! And I'm definitely sick of waiting any longer!"

X

Again a shadow fell on the table, without looking she started.

"I'm not interested, piss off!

"Not interested in what exactly would that be, Neena?"

Trying to control her temper for the moment she turned around to look at the little pest.

""Logan. You shadowing me again?"

He sat down on the chair across the table, put his legs on it and lighted his cigar.

"Just checking, what you're up to. Wouldn't want you to run into trouble again."

She jumped of her chair, tossing it back against the wall, grabbed her beer pitcher and proceeded to empty its content over Wolverine's head. Then she took his cigar out of his mouth and deposited it in his beer.

X

"I just wanted some time to myself. I'm a big girl and can watch out for me on my own. And Logan, and you better listen because this is important, I'm not your property or your little girlfriend.

Just because we're romping around in my bed together, you are not entitled to anything. Got that?"

Not waiting for an answer she grabbed her short leatherjacket and walked out of the bar.

X

Wolverine just sat there for a moment, his claws unsheathed, grinding his teeth.

Then he heard the laughter all around him.

At least there was a way to vent his anger, he thought, as he hurled himself at the first drunkard.

X

X

Domino hurried through the streets, her temper flaring.

"One of these idiots is worse than the other. Letting me wait for hours and following me around? Just who do they think they are?"

X

"Dom?"

X

Without holding her steps, she growled at him.

X

"I'm not talking to you; you are just wasting my time.

If you've got any questions visit Utopia and ask your dad."

X

"I had to wait to contact you, to make sure you were alone. And you see, my caution was necessary."

X

"Nathan, this is ridiculous! The X-men are your friends; there are people on the island, who will be happy you're not dead."

X

Warmth flooded through the link.

X

"At least you're calling me by my name again…"

X

"So what? We were friends for a long time."

X

Now he "sounded" resignated.

X

"Friends?

Okay, fine…. Look Dom, I don't think the X-Men are enemies,

it's just… there are a lot of things that I don't understand and I want a chance to get the information from someone,

I know I can always trust, before I decide what I'm going to do next."

X

"Great! You're not making any sense but all right.

Where do you wanna meet?"

X

"Botanical Garden. I'll lead you to me, when you're there… and Dom, please make sure you're not followed."

X

"Okay, I'm coming."

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

She walked up the slope to the group of trees, where Cable should be waiting for her.

And he did.

When she reached the first tree, a dark silhouette stood under the trees' shadows.

X

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she saw the light emanating from his eye. He stepped forward and she could make out more details.

X

Strange, his clothes looked like the uniform he wore years ago; his hair was cut differently, in a more "boyish" style, if such a word could even be applied to Cable.

His whole body looked less massive, more agile and his face…

It looked nothing like the Cable who'd sacrificed himself recently.

He looked so much younger and far less hardened and weathered.

In fact he looked like…

"He looks just like when we were still together, before everything turned sour. Before he pushed me out of his life like I didn't belong in it anymore."

"N-Nate?"

She hated that her voice sounded so weak.

"Dom."

He replied closing the gab between them, until they were just one step apart.

His voice sounded raw with emotion.

"It's good to see you."

His eyes bore into hers, and he continued.

"I've missed you… I've really missed you."

"Nate…I…"

His right hand came up to gently caress her cheek with his hand, brushing a strand of her bangs from her face.

"You cut your hair."

X

Just what was happening here? He acted like… like she was still part of his life. As if the last few years never happened.

Her hand came up to pull his' from her face, but then she just enfolded his hand with hers.

She coughed nervously.

"Y-yes, but it's… I mean you've seen it before. Just before you…died?"

Her last word turned into a question. She searched his eyes for something that could explain why he acted this way.

Instead his gaze made her feel warm and made her hard beat faster.

"_Snap out of it Neena. Him and you, that's over and has been for a long time."_

"I've absolutely no idea, what you're talking about, Dom. I haven't seen you or any one else from this time for years.

But your new hairstyle suits you, you look… so beautiful"

"That makes absolutely no sense… You were with Deadpool in Providence and then you were hopping with Hope around the time stream. And then you returned and Bastion attacked and you sacrificed yourself so that X-Force could return."

X

At least that got a reaction out of him.

"Are they okay? I saw James on a picture and Daní, but no one else. Did we lose one of them?"

He asked with genuine concern, but really he couldn't be serious.

Her anger flared up and she forced his hand from her face.

"Not the old X-Force. Our X-Force, I mean Wolverine's X-force. Nate, all of this makes no sense."

Now his face showed anger and disbelief.

"You can say that again. Wolverine's X-Force?You've got to be joking. Why would Terry and the other's make the little runt team leader?"

Either he was amnesiac or it was a doppelganger, but if he was the latter, he did a real bad job of impersonating Cable.

"What are you up to "Cable"?

I'm talking about the new X-Force; we fought with you in the future. Twice. Logan, Archangel, X-23 and me…

You should really make a better background check if you try to impersonate one of us."

And with that she pressed her gun against his loins.

X

"Now, who are you? And what do you want? And your answer better be good or you definitely won't be called an X-"Man" anymore."

He looked down to her gun and then again in her face before him. He seemed rather amused than concerned.

"I'm wondering myself what's wrong.

But you of all people should know that I'm no impostor.

You feel our psi-link, how could I fool you with this connection?"

"There are dozens of explanations and all of them make more sense than your story.

I'm giving you one more chance to spill it.

What are YOU UP TO!"

Now he was really angry, or at least he seemed to be.

"I'm no impostor and I think you better stop targeting my private parts with a gun.

I've already disabled the trigger with my TK, so it's useless anyway."

X

As he said that her fingers pulled the trigger but nothing happened. She tried again and again, finally letting go of the pistol and reaching for her knife.

The next moment her body couldn't move an inch anymore.

"That's enough Dom. I'm not letting you attack me. I **really** don't know what you are talking about.

Never heard of it, definitely never experienced it. I had to leave with Blaquesmith, for our time.

I didn't tell anybody, because at this point I believed it would only take a few weeks, but it turned out to be more than five years in the end."

Domino flexed her muscles, but Cables TK left her absolutely no leeway.

"Even if that was true, you could have just returned five minutes after you left."

"I had no choice, when Clan Chosen wanted to send me back, we hit unforeseeable problems.

There were disturbances in the time stream, the worst of them just a few weeks ago. There was no way to return, there was no way to travel to any earlier time without risking my life."

Could it be that he was telling the truth? He sounded sincere, but…

"Nathan, there was a Cable here for the last few years. And when he died, he returned shortly afterwards before he left for the future again.

How can you be who you claim to be, if there was another you? And it wasn't Stryfe, because we met him while we were in the future with you."

He looked worried now, his brow furrowed.

"I can't explain that, but the other me's time-travelling might be part of the reason the time stream became so turbulent."

X

Then a thought seemed to come to him.

"Was the… These other me, were they me? That sounds stupid. I mean, were they exactly me?"

"You are right, that sounds stupid. Of course he was you. He was Nathan Summers; there was no mistaking him for anyone else."

"That's not what I mean. I mean, where there differences in attitude? Maybe he didn't exactly look like I do."

"That's still ridiculous. Of course there were differences. He was bulkier, seemed a lot older, maybe even taller than you do.

He certainly had a grimmer attitude; he was more like when I first met you. Had no powers, but the same weapons and fighting skills.

But that just means he was from another period in your life, right?"

X

He smiled at her now.

"Maybe, but maybe not. It could be that… how do I explain that?

You know that the future's not written in stone.

Different choices lead to different possible futures; the X-Men have encountered people from diverging timelines.

Rachel came from one future; I came from a different one. Bishop from a third.

What if these different Cables, came from timelines slightly different to mine.

That would not only explain all the small differences, but why I don't know anything about their life."

He looked her in the eyes again. His eyes locking with hers.

"I'm going to let you free now, Dom. You know me best of all in this period. We are linked; you would see if I'm not who I'm claiming to be."

X

She could move her body again; it surprised her, so that she lost her footing for a moment and stumbled forward into Cable's arms.

Instantly his arms caught her, holding her at both shoulders.

It felt like small electrical charges seemed to run from his hands through her body.

A quiet moan escaped her. Why did this feel so natural?

"L-let go of me, you've no right to hold me."

He didn't let go, instead his hands wandered down her upper arms, with a firm, yet gentle touch, before he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him, until just her half raised arms prevented her from being pressed into his body.

X

"I've missed you Dom, I've missed you so much.

I spent whole nights dreaming about you, your face, your touch, your body.

Being apart from you for so long was among the hardest things in my life."

His voice was raw, laced with emotions and something else. His eyes never left hers not for one instant.

"You pushed me away. You cut all connections and when we met again you acted like a totally different person…

You hurt me Nate. It hurt how you treated me."

Tears were welling up in her and for the first time, since they had met again, back then in his Hell's Kitchen hide out, she started to cry about the loss of their love.

She hated herself for being so weak, but somehow it didn't even feel that bad. What they had, was special, when it was gone, part of her was gone with it.

His gloved right hand gently wiped the tears from her cheeks, she turned her head away.

She didn't want to look into these hungry eyes anymore, but he caught her chin in his hand and gently moved her face back to his.

X

"I'd never do this to you, Dom. Never."

He cupped her face in both his hands, not giving her the opportunity to look away again.

"I love you Dom. I never stopped loving you."

Stupid! Even more tears were running now.

"Y-you shouldn't s-say this, y-you are lying.

And I found others, lots of others.

I don't need you anymore. I don't want you.

And I just realized that I hated you for the last years.

I can't stand to see you anymore.

So let go of me!"

X

He shook his head and just kept on looking in her eyes.

"If you really want me to, I will. But at least give me one thing to remember you."

He raised her chin a bit and leaned towards her. His lips slowly coming closer to hers.

Suddenly she was filled with fear. Fear of what his kiss would start in her.

"Nate, please don't." she whimpered.

X

Then his lips touched hers, soft at first, but then ever more demanding and she had no defence against it.

His hands around her waist pulled her into him and this time she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his in response.

This felt so right; her body seemed to melt against him.

"Nate." she moaned. "Nate."

"Dom. I've missed you. I can't let you go. I can't."

He breathed the words into her mouth.

She responded by pushing her tongue in his mouth, hungrily reclaiming it for her. And Nate answered in kind. Their tongues explored each other, played with each other.

She needed him closer. Closer.

The raven-haired beauty pushed herself against him, pulling him as close to her as possible.

X

After what seemed like an eternity, they broke their kiss, both panting heavily. His hand came up again to stroke her hair, to caress her face.

She took his face in both hands and began kissing him again.

Then she let go of his face, unzipped her jacket and quickly got rid of it.

"I want you Nate. I want to feel you again."

She jumped him, wrapping her legs around him, so that he had to hold the firm form of her buttocks with his hands, to support her.

"Mm, I like that. I missed your touch."

"Likewise!" He moaned. "I missed your sexy little butt."

She started to give him short, hungry kisses, biting his lips softly, before the kisses became more demanding.

Nathan dropped to his knees, gently letting her to the ground, with him on top, but with his legs and lower body beside her.

He broke the kiss and pulled back a bit.

X

"You sure, Dom?"

She pursed her lips, laying her right index finger at the corner of her mouth while the tip of her tongue came out between her lips, licking them.

"Am I sure?" she asked in a sultry, mocking voice.

"Yes, I am sure. I want you do to nasty things to me, right now."

He smiled down at her.

"Your wish is my command."

With a flick of his head her boots and her leather pants unzipped by themselves and almost flew from her body.

So that she was now left with only her black thong and a thin white shirt.

All over Cable's body belts and other fasteners opened and in seconds he was down to his shorts.

_"That's a nice way to use your TK!"_

She thought.

X

He leaned down to kiss her again, his right hand sliding from her upper thigh over her flat stomach, pushing up her shirt to expose her alabaster white skin.

Then it slid under her shirt, cupping her left breast and starting to fondle it gently.

"Nate… now… I need you know."

X

He pinched her nipple, before twisting it lightly between thumb and index finger, making her body arch upwards.

He continued to administer caresses to her breast with his right, while he stripped off her shirt with his left.

Then his mouth moved from her lips, down her body, to the valley between her breasts.

He licked through it and left a wet trail with his tongue from their to her right nipple.

He licked around it, kissed it. Then he sucked as much of her supple flesh into his mouth as possible, before he proceeded to bite gently into her erect bud.

She moaned loudly in pleasure, her fingers scratching deep cuts in his back.

X

"More Nate! I want more! I need you inside me."

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

She awoke, with herself still half on his body. Her right leg entwined with his and her head resting on his broad chest, his right arm embracing her.

Smiling she cuddled closer to him, burying her face in his chest.

"Morning sleepy. Rested now?"

So he was awake. She straddled him and brought her face down to his again.

"Morning lover boy. And yes I'm rested. At least rested enough for…"

She gazed at him under heavy eyelids.

Cable chuckled to himself.

"I'm sorry Dom, but there will be people around here soon."

"So? This is Frisco; they might ask to join us."

He grinned broadly at her.

"I love you Dom. You know?"

"And still you defy my will Summers, you've got guts."

She leaned forward to kiss him passionately.

"Well, can't be helped." She sighed, when she broke the kiss. "But I warn you, Nate. I'm not willing to wait long."

She stretched herself like a cat, as she lifted herself off of him to sit beside him.

X

"You won't believe how much I missed this, Dom. How much I missed you."

"Maybe, but I'm not tired of hearing it so far."

He sat up as well and drew her into an embrace.

The alabaster skinned woman rested her head on his shoulder.

"I think I missed you as well, even if I didn't really know what I was missing."

His face got serious.

"I really treated you bad, didn't I?"

She closed her eyes for one moment, then nodded gently.

"You were gone from one day to the next. I didn't even know if you were alive.

You never tried to contact me, never told me where you are.

And when I finally found you, it seemed there was nothing left between us.

Later on we became friends again, we even got together again for some time, but it was never the same."

X

He shook his head.

"I wonder what must have happened to "me," to change my feelings for you.

I've never been closer to anybody, not to Slym and Redd, not to Jenskot or Tyler or even Sam.

For that to be destroyed… I just don't know."

X

Domino broke the embrace and got on her feet again, she began to gather her clothes, looking at him over her shoulder she declared.

"Let's not dwell on it. You know I don't like to spend time on regretting mistakes."

As she put on her panties she felt his eyes on her back. She turned around with a mischievous smile, bent her hips slightly to the right and put her hands on her hips.

X

"You little pig. You like what you see?"

Her body was outlined, by the rising sun behind her.

It accentuated her perfect figure and let her alabaster skin shine even more.

He just nodded and his eyes continued to drink in her beauty.

X

A few minutes later they slowly walked through the park. His arm around her shoulders and hers around his body.

"Nate, what I told you yesterday… it was true, there were quite a few… let's say intimate encounters.

I'm not gonna be sorry for it, I… it was clear that it was over between us and I at least wanted to have my fun."

"I can handle it… is there somebody now?"

She averted her eyes and when she spoke again; her voice was just a whisper.

"Yes… It's Logan. He helped me with a problem a few weeks ago and there's this… attraction between us.

I mean it's nothing serious right now, just sex."

X

"But?" He stopped walking and turned her around to face him.

"What do you mean, but?"

His face seemed set in stone.

"It sounded like there was a "but" coming, just now."

X

She wanted to look away again but he gently held her chin.

"Dom, just tell me…"

She sighed and quietly answered.

"There might have been more in the future… I don't know…"

She could see the muscles work in his face, as he fought for control.

X

"_Okay Logan, first my mother, now Domino. And you're leading X-Force. Not to mention that you killed my son."_

"That's fine. Great!"

Without wanting he spoke the last words out loud.

"_I know it's ridiculous. But right now I want to ram the little, hairy runt into the ground."_ He thought.

He looked at the raven haired beauty standing before him.

Naturally, she looked defiant and eager for an argument, but through the psi-link he felt her anxiety, even insecurity.

Nathan grabbed the labels of her jacket and pulled her to him.

He caught her lips in a fierce kiss, for one moment she fought it, but then she returned his kiss passionately.

Minutes later they broke the kiss but still embraced each other

Breathing heavily, he asked

X

"And now? What do you think now Dom? The past is the past.

But I'm not gonna share you. I want… I need you all for myself."

Her kiss was answer enough, because simultaneously their psi-link opened up totally again, as she let her last barriers fall, baring her soul to him.

In a shut off part of his mind he thought.

"_No matter what. I think Wolverine needs a lesson once again. It's probably been to long since the last time I put him down."_

X

From the moment they first met he and Logan had clashed heads.

True, there was a sort of grudging respect between them, but again and again they had fought against each other.

And while it might be vain and a bit childish, Nathan still prided himself that most of the fights had been in his favour.

Everybody else in the X-Men seemed to think of Wolverine as this unbeatable berserker, but to Nathan tactics and strategic thinking were just as important as fighting prowess.

X

Domino interrupted his line of thought.

"You finished seething now, Nate?"

Nathan cleared his throat, a bit embarrassed.

"You noticed, huh?"

"Wasn't hard. Even if I couldn't see it…"

She took his right hand in hers and pressed it to her left cheek.

"…I would feel it here…"

She led his hand to her chest above her heart.

"… And here."

X

His hand remained there, as he leaned forward to kiss her once more.

When they parted again. Domino slipped her arm around him.

"You ready to meet your father and the rest of the X-Men now?"

"To be honest not quite. I just learnt that he betrayed Jean with Frost, that their marriage was destroyed and she died.

For all of you it's in the past, but for me the loss is still new.

I'm just glad that no one from "my" X-Force was lost, well except for Caliban. The poor kid."

She smiled at him.

"Yes. But you see, we should concentrate on the positive stuff.

Sam should be there, as well as his squad and that means Bobby and Daní. And while you were gone Warlock returned.

He's part of Sam's team again. Oh, and Tabitha is living on the island, too."

"She's on the island, but not in Sam's team?

Then they are not…"

"Yes, not for a long time."

"And why did they…"

"I've absolutely no idea! When we disbanded X-Force, they were still an item and when I saw Sam the next time, he'd already been in a new relationship with Lila Cheney.

And you know, since then Tabitha's not been with any of the other kids, except when you brought us together again some time ago, to fight the Skornn."

X

"The Skornn? So it really exists?"

She started walking, while she answered, forcing him to follow to keep in touch.

X

"Yes, but we can swap stories tonight, when we're finished with our exercises. For now, let's go to the island, introduce you again and then you can play catch up with everybody."

"Okay, just in a few words. Where are the rest of them? Terry, James and the others?"

Domino bit her lower lip unconsciously, thinking...

"Okay... Let me see. Terry, Rictor and 'star are with the current X-Factor, as far as I know Rahne is there as well. James... well, he was with me in X-Force, but he needed some time for himself. I guess these are all. They are all either in the New Mutants squad or in X-Factor."

"Except for Tanitha. Strange."

"I never thought about it before, Nate, but you are right. It seems a bit strange. We should probably ask her if there are any reasons."

She frowned and continued.

"But then we should really see if we can reach Hope. She'll be delirious when she hears you're alive. Even if you're not **her** Cable."

X

"Anything else Dom?"

"Just that you are best friends with Deadpool now."

"That loon? Why would I..?"

He remembered reading something about them working together. Just what kind of a man, this other self must have been, to endure the babbling idiot.

"Oh, and Nathan?"

She bit her lower lip, before she continued softly.

"There is one thing; perhaps you could call me Neena from time to time."

X

The glance she threw at him was almost shy, highly unusual for Domino.

"Fine, Neena."

She strengthened her grip on his body for a moment and smiled at him.

They continued walking arm in arm through the slowly awakening city, towards the harbour.

X

"Neena?"

Her name sounded a bit strange, when he said it, as if he had to become accustomed, which was indeed the case.

"Yes, Nate?"

His voice sounded curious.

"Just who is this Hope you keep mentioning all the time?"

Smiling she began to explain.

X

X

When she was finished, he scratched his head.

"Are there any other surrogate kids I should know of, Dom?"

"Besides Hope? No, only Sam, no one else. Oh and of course

Mary Sue and John Doe."

His voice was close to panic now.

"Mary Sue and John Doe? Was I put in charge of the X-Orphanage?"

She broke down laughing.

"Got you good there Nate. You should've seen your face."

X

He had a very uncharacteristic, goofy grin on his face, and then laughed as well.

He took her hand and helped her to her feet, pulling her to him in the same movement.

"You got me. Yes, Dom, or Neena, or goddess, you got me good."

They kissed again; they could always catch a later ferry.

**X**

**END**

**X**

* * *

><p><em><strong>A. N.<strong>_

_**Hope you could enjoy it. The crappy editing isn't my fault, it's what the site always turns my scripts into. I do my best to keep the stories still readable.**_

_**I know I could probably've chosen any Cable version for this, but since I liked him best under Jeph Loeb and Ian Churchill. especially in regards to his relationship with Domino, I decided to use the Nathan of that period.**_

_**You might probably realize, that I'm not exactly a big fan of Wolverine right now. I feel he's used way too much and is portrayed much too strong.**_

_**I especially loathe the fact that he, who always was Cable's rival, is now leading X-Force and even had a sexual relationship with Domino, who to me will always be the love of Cable's life.**_

_**That's why I used my copies of X-Force- Sex & Violence to get my barbecue grill going.**_

_**Cable and Logan have fought each other quite a few times over the years, the battles always ending either in a draw or a clear victory for Cable (I can't remember a single time where Wolverine actually defeated him). If you don't believe it, check it.**_

_**AND PEOPLE, PLEASE REVIEW. X-Force stories are read by so few people, that every opinion counts!**_


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